Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-04
THE WILLIS CASE.
Tie First Meeting OF the Senate Sp8-
cial Committee in the Case OF
Judge Willis.
The Same Proceedings TO be Gone Through
with that we're had BE The Spe-
cial House Committee.
Special to the Gazette.

special to the Gazette.
AUSTIN, TEX, March The Senate
special committee appointed to irvestl-
gate the charges in the Judge Willis case
net for the first time in the committee
room tonight and listened 10 the law
points on which the prosecution and de-
feuse relied. Each side was limited 10
one-ha!f hour.
Colonel Walton said the matter OF al
address, it being q formal proceeding,
should be in strict compliance with the
constitution, and that IS THAI the address
may be presented IN the House and then
the Senate take up the proceeding sep
arate, but he :houGnt the constitution did
not permit this He thought the Pre-
ceedlrg should b under the constitution
OF 1863; tnat the proceeding should origi-
nate in the House by resolution ard then
pass to the Senate, who also should pass
a resolution, and then both houses should
appoint Joint committee to investigate
the charges, when both houses should
meet in joint session and try the cause,
and the counsel should argue the cgse.
In 1874 such proceeding was had. He
said this was q dual proceed
ing if they adhered to the
precedents set by the Legislature.
The articles coming from the House o
the Senate were anterior TO mis- last cleo
ton. This being so, he said the law
held that man cannot be impeached for
any crime committed before his rejection.
He said in an impeachment q man was
afterward debarred from holding office,
but an address wes different, in this,t tnat
# the man was being tried, and even
while the trial was going on he should be
reelected, the proceedings against HIM
would be void, Tor by such reelection be
Became new man. In support Of this
he read from nadisOn's Debates, edited
by Elliott, and Highs Extraordinary
Legal Remedies, PIP. IS and 81.
Acknowledgement H0gg, in answer u
Major WalsoG's argument, said that as he
understood n investigation the House
did not raise question as to its consti-
tu!iaEality. 81 far IS the precedeuts re-
ferred to by tie defense were concerned
be said they were prectG dents thst it
would not do for Us to follow because
they were the outbursts of political re-
venge and were not 8 safe guide to follow
now. 1t was at time when men did not
stopto consider, but if they were good pre-
Cedents Judge Willis certainly could not be
heard to Complain under the liberal pre-
ceedings in this case He read the con
stitution to show that these proceedings
were proper and right. Ia matters of an
address there are no rules or regulations
of precedents. The Legislature can make
its own rules IS long as they are not in
contiic. with tic constitution He said
that the ofeuses with which Judge Willis
was charged were a continuation, begin
ming under his former term and continu-
leg up to the present time. He said the
fact that Goodnight and Nelson
swOre before the special commit
tee that they were keeping him
from resigriug and that Goodnight
Individually swore thst he told Judge
Willis that he willis was nothing but a
bubble in this fight, tnat i: was he cattle
men, showed conclusively that he was
when elected and that he is low under
their control. This is evidenced by the
strong support he received from them
during mis- trial.
After the arguments the committee
held q consultation. Their conclusion
was that they saw no reasons why they
should not proceed with the investiga-
ton and that all applications for witness
rs shall be in writing and sworn to by
the defendant, and the prosecution shall
also submit their applications in writing
The defense will make application for
witnesses Tomorrow.